<p>Remember, DukeEgr93, that the “persons of interest” were caught in January during a routine traffic stop.</p>
<p>It would not surprise me if ATM tapes show individuals trying to use ATM cards stolen from Duke students and employees in Durham. With the number of robberies in Durham perhaps it is not a priority or a possibility due to staffing requirements to examine such evidence.</p>
<p>janie - I think you are right. I find a ton of resources that state in TX, 17 is death penalty eligible, but I also find nothing to indicate the SCOTUS decision is reversed. To me, that means what you post is correct. (The fog of flu has rendered me less than sharp today.)</p>
<p>I thought the exact same thing as wcmom re: the cell phone, am astounded this phone was used and not apparently not monitored? I absolutely agree with eadad; though nothing will bring these brilliant kids back, someone had better start answering some questions.</p>
<p>Another mistake discovered:</p>
<p>Supposedly, Atwater’s case should have been transferred for probation supervision to Durham County where he resided; and the June 2007 probation violation shb heard in Durham County not Wake County. But, no address was listed on the WC November 2007 arrest warrant, so it seems as though no one in Wake County knew he lived in Durham County. In fact, seems no one in Wake County knew or cared WHERE he lived. That WC allowed his probation file to contain no known address seems to indicate a ‘could not care less’ attitude. Sheeesh.</p>
<h2>[UNC</a> Murder Suspect Was Overlooked by State :: WRAL.com](<a href=“UNC Murder Suspect Was Overlooked by State”>UNC Murder Suspect Was Overlooked by State)</h2>
<p>"Another mistake uncovered by WRAL Friday: Contrary to state probation policy, the oversight of Atwater’s parole was never transferred to Durham County, where Atwater lived.</p>
<p>When Atwater appeared in court March 3 – two days before Carson was shot to death near the UNC campus – the date was rescheduled to March 31 because of clerical errors.</p>
<p>Atwater and his probation officer appeared in a District Court courtroom, but his file was sent to a Superior Court courtroom where the case was to be heard. When a clerk of court checked his case status in a statewide computer system, it showed the 2005 case had been disposed.</p>
<p>“I don’t think you can point to one person and say that they were at fault,” Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby said. “Much of this is symptomatic of the fact these were non-violent offenses.”</p>
<p>The clerk didn’t have the information she needed to understand the facts of the case, Willoughby said.</p>
<p>“Our system is very fragile. We don’t have a good information system, and this is a byproduct of it,” he said.</p>
<p>Guy said probation officers must periodically search court records on their clients to see if they have violated parole</p>
<p>“I think everybody in the public thinks that we have these automatic red flags in the criminal justice system that when a new crime occurs … we’re automatically notified,” Guy said. “Our system’s not that good.”"</p>
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<h2>And this is what the Mayor of Durham has to say. I cannot believe given the sheer number of mistakes which occurred, he is claiming ignorance as a defense.</h2>
<p>“Bill Bell is answering questions about gang violence in his city and if it had anything to do with the deaths of the two students. “These things happen,” Mayor Bell said in response to the murder of UNC body president Eve Carson. “Unfortunately they do happen. And if we knew the answer as to how we could have prevented it. I’m sure that would have happened also. But we didn’t.””</p>
<p>“Bill Bell is answering questions about gang violence in his city and if it had anything to do with the deaths of the two students. “These things happen,” Mayor Bell said in response to the murder of UNC body president Eve Carson. “Unfortunately they do happen. And if we knew the answer as to how we could have prevented it. I’m sure that would have happened also. But we didn’t.””</p>
<p>Durham is not such a big city. The police are totally incompetent if they could not adequately investigate the case of the 1st student. Checking cell phone records is so basic. How many homicides do they deal with in a year? They can’t be so busy investigating homicides that they didn’t have a lot of time for this one. Why didn’t they have enough time to check a cell phone? They could call in additional resources if they are so pushed for time. </p>
<p>Do they think that (Indian) students are just expendable?</p>
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<p>Par for the course for Durham, isn’t it? Seems they still haven’t learned.</p>
<p>Aside from not looking for the cell phone, today’s paper mentioned that Mahato’s car was simply parked at the address where Lovett frequently visited, and (I <em>believe</em>) where they arrested him.</p>
<p>Was no one looking for Mahato’s car, either?</p>
<p>What bothers me is they will not seek the death penalty for this kid, because he is 17. Come on 17, seriously he was acting like an adult, he had full judgement when he killed a 2nd person. This is not like the DC sniper kid who was basically brainwashed.</p>
<p>If I was Eve’s parents I wouldhave already consulted an attorney to sue Durham for wrongful death!</p>
<p>bulletandpima: I posted yesterday that a Supreme Court ruling in 2005 (which I think still stands) prevents any state in the U.S. giving the death penalty to anyone who commits murder when he/she is under 18. I agree that needs to be changed. Lovette will be charged as an adult, but just cannot be given the death penalty. Atwater, at 21, will be (I hope).</p>
<p>I am also glad that both Atwater and Lovette will be tried in Orange County, not Durham, for Eve’s murder. I don’t trust the Durham Judge (Brown?) who will be handling the Mahato murder-- not after his comments yesterday, which I thought were grossly inappropriate at this time.</p>
<p>We cannot “execute” ourselves out of this problem. We need to start by re-reading the tribute that Eve’s father wrote for her funeral. Within that is at least where he seems to put the blame. He recognized the root of the problem. Then it would help if public safety officials were held to the same level of accountability as the basketball coaches at Duke and UNC. The people in charge of our safety are paid by our tax dollars - we are their bosses, yet we don’t insist that they have at least the level of technology available to them that the state lottery does. The issue is priorities. When I tour campuses, I am amazed at the magnitude of resources spent on choices of brick oven pizza and coffee shops. I think the deaths on campuses over just the last year should wake us up with regard to priorities. Maybe we should skip the dormitory and dining hall tours and drop by the local courthouse and police station. Better yet, tour the local day care, elementary, middle, high schools, mental health facilities, and see the environment into which we are really sending our kids. Maybe a wealthy alumni donor or two should send a few million in that direction rather than building a new athletic training facility. The way the two murders in North Carolina was treated also sheds light on our priorities. Had Eve been killed first, I’d say Mr. Mohato would still be alive and I don’t think it would be because of the difference between the local police departments. Absolutely Eve’s parents should be outraged that those two were still out there, but Mr. Mohato’s parents should be outraged that his death didn’t command results.</p>
<p>cartera45: As I have posted on this thread and others, what we really need to do is reach the “at risk” when they are very young, long before they ever even think about committing a crime. That’s truly the “root of the problem.” We also need to look at the Second Amendment in this country, but no one ever wants to touch that. As you can see from this thread alone, these two deaths just encourage others to buy and learn how to use guns.</p>
<p>I honestly don’t think you can put blame on the “safety officials” at our universities for these 2 deaths, though I suspect they will increase patrols as a result.</p>
<p>We CAN blame the ease with which we allow repeat criminals out of jail to roam the streets, terrorizing and killing the innocent. The major mistakes made with Lovett and Atwater were with the justice system that allowed them to go free after earlier crimes, followed by infrequent parole supervision.</p>
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<p>I personally think you are incorrect with this assessment. Mr. Mahato’s body was found January 18; by January 24, the Durham police had a man in custody for his killing (Stephen Oates). He is still in jail and still charged with that crime. Oates never gave up the names of Lovette or Atwater as accomplices, though he surely knew they were with him.</p>
<p>You CAN blame the Durham police for not searching for Mahato’s car and cell phone, or if they did, for their inability to locate them. You CAN blame the Wake County courts for making a “clerical error” on Atwater’s March 3 court date, rescheduling it for March 31, and allowing him to go free-- even though he violated parole for this latest crime.</p>
<p>Finally, “the people in charge of our safety” aren’t just University security. We are the ones “in charge of our safety,” and we can make a difference by voting on the right laws, ensuring that they’re enforced, and taking a stand on the gun lobby in this country-- for a start. </p>
<p>We can also work to ensure people stay in jail when they continually commit crimes. First, though, perhaps we should spend “a few million” in the direction of reaching the “at risk,” working with them early, often, and continuously.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, I’d still like to see Atwater get the death penalty. As a NC taxpayer, I do not want to support him for the rest of his life.</p>
<p>janieblue - you see the root of the problem just as I do. Unless real systemic changes are made, we will not see any real change. Even if those changes took place today, we still have many very dangerous people out there from which we and our children need protection and that is where the “safety officials” come into play. They have to not just do an adequate job - they have to be given whatever they need to do the best job possible. They have to treat every murder, every robbery, every car-jacking as if the president of the student body was the victim. I’m not just referring to police officers when I say “safety officials.” I am including the clerk’s office that screwed up - the judiciary that doesn’t recognize escalating behavior in adolescents, and on and on. I think there is a good chance that had the first murder received the attention of the second that Lovette would have been caught much faster. What was the amount of the reward for info on his killing? I couldn’t even tell you Mahato’s name until I googled it. I read that there were two 14 year olds in the car with the guy who had been arrested for the Mahato murder - is it too late for them? Is it likely that they will be the ones out there gunning for our high school seniors after they start college? It is unless something changes.</p>
<p>cartera45: While Mahato’s murder may not have received the immediate national wide-spread attention that Eve Carson’s murder did, it was extensively covered in the local newspapers in NC, and alerts went out to area university students (not just Duke) about his murder and the robberies involving a Duke professor and student that occurred afterwards. This was not ignored. Again, they caught Oates (who is still charged with his murder) within 5 days.</p>
<p>As I’ve stated before, though, I doubt students took it that seriously-- not because this was a non-white graduate student, but because it simply seemed like yet another crime in Durham, outside area campus walls. That’s a false sense of security, though. Since these universities do not have moats around them, we all need to be more vigilant.</p>
<p>I do believe that these criminals should not have been out roaming the streets. Oates (one of Mahato’s killers and the first one arrested) was one of four suspects held in connection with more than 70 armed robberies in the area, yet there he was-- out of jail and armed.</p>
<p>Again, lots of things we can do to ensure change, but on the law end of it, once these people have committed crimes, we need to ensure they stay locked away (or executed). Either way, get them off the streets.</p>
<p>I hadn’t seen this before now–new reward offered for information on people who may have been involved “after the fact”.
[Governor</a> Offers $10K Reward in Carson Homicide :: WRAL.com](<a href=“Governor Offers $10K Reward in Carson Homicide”>Governor Offers $10K Reward in Carson Homicide)</p>
<p>mkm56: Yes, I posted that on the UNC board when it was first announced. I’m guessing that’s because they suspect this is gang-related?</p>
<p>Maybe so. Hope it has desired effect.</p>
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<p>It’s simply a fact of life that pretty white girls from middle/upper middle class backgrounds who are kidnapped, murdered, etc. get the nation’s attention - while girls of color, or boys for that matter, who are similarly victimized rarely ever get national or int’l press.</p>
<p>The Prosecutors have tried in vain to keep arrest warrants and autopsy reports sealed in order to not jeopardize their case against these two monsters. A Durham reporter has been trying to get both this information and autopsy reports released for several months but the Prosecutors office has been fighting vehemently to keep the records sealed so that there would be nothing to harm their chain of evidence in the case.</p>
<p>Given that there is still the potential that this was gang related, and the fact that the identity of the confidential informant could be compromised if the information became public, you can hopefully understand why they were trying so hard to keep this sealed. It is not uncommon for Confidential informants to have threats placed against them and their families or even worse to be killed once their identities are revealed. The absence of an informant or a “changed story” after a threat or worse loss of an informant could let these two get off on the charges.</p>
<p>You can see that their defense attorney is saying it was all based on “hearsay” which is why the prosecutors did NOT want to release ANY of this information because once it is public knowledge their case can be considerably weakened.</p>
<p>Today the information was released; this is from CNN.com</p>
<p>"The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president who was killed this year was shot several times, including in her head, according to her autopsy report released Monday.Unsealed warrants show Eve Carson was abducted and then shot by both men.</p>
<p>Unsealed warrants show Eve Carson was abducted and then shot by both men.</p>
<p>Eve Carson, 22, was found slain on March 5.</p>
<p>Carson’s autopsy report lists six gunshot wounds, but says two were probably from the same bullet, according to North Carolina’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.</p>
<p>Carson’s death shocked the community and drew national attention. An estimated 10,000 people turned out for a service remembering her.</p>
<p>Her autopsy – released after a North Carolina newspaper filed a court motion to have it unsealed – describes wounds to various parts Carson’s body. It says shotgun wounds to her head and hand “most likely represent a single shot with the hand acting as an intermediate target.”</p>
<p>One of the other four wounds was also a gunshot to her head.</p>
<p>A separate, handwritten summary of the medical examiner’s report says Carson was “shot multiple times” and found lying on her back, with one arm bent behind her head.</p>
<p>The autopsy says sexual assault testing was done. It does not say whether any sign of sexual assault was found.</p>
<p>Two suspects, Demario James Atwater, 22, and Lawrence Alvin Lovette, 17, have been charged with first-degree murder. Lovette’s attorney said the warrants against the suspects rely on hearsay. Atwater’s attorney cautioned against “any rush to judgment.”</p>
<p>Court documents released Friday say Carson was kidnapped from her apartment and forced to provide her abductors with ATM access to her bank account before she was shot to death in the early hours of March 5.</p>
<p>The documents – applications for search warrants – say a confidential informant told police in the days after the death that Atwater had told her he and Lovette had entered Carson’s home through an open door and forced Carson to accompany them in her car.</p>
<p>The informant said she had talked with Atwater after a picture was displayed on television showing someone attempting to use Carson’s ATM card at a convenience store two days after Carson’s body was found.</p>
<p>The informant said the two men drove Carson to an ATM, obtaining her PIN number from her.</p>
<p>“The CW [informant] learned that Carson was forced into the back seat with Atwater, and Lovette drove Carson’s vehicle,” the court documents said. “That information is consistent with video footage taken from an ATM camera on that date.”</p>
<p>The witness told police Atwater said the two got about $1,400 from Carson’s account. Bank records show that was approximately the amount taken from the account over a two-day period, the documents said.</p>
<p>And the informant said that both suspects shot Carson, according to one of the affidavits. “This information was corroborated by crime scene search information that two separate weapons were used in the homicide,” the documents said.</p>
<p>The documents said police believe Carson was subjected to a sexual assault “of an unknown nature” and asked for a search warrant to collect DNA swabs from the suspects.</p>
<p>But Orange County, North Carolina, District Attorney Jim Woodall told CNN Friday the collection and testing done on Carson’s body was routine, and authorities do not believe she was sexually assaulted.</p>
<p>Prosecutors had fought to keep her autopsy sealed. Following a motion by the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper, prosecutors agreed to allow the report’s release.</p>
<p>Carson, a native of Athens, Georgia, was a pre-medicine student double-majoring in political science and biology. She was a recipient of the university’s prestigious Morehead Scholarship and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, UNC has said."</p>
<p>Let us ALL hope and pray that this zeal for freedom of information does not jeopardize the case and allow these two to walk away without getting the maximum sentence allowable by law.</p>
<p>I am also a little dismayed at the release of the warrants and autopsy report eadad. (The autopsy report will give one nightmares; I don’t advise reading it. Wish I had not.) I don’t doubt for a moment defense attorneys are already plotting their tainted jury pool strategy. And the threat of gangster retaliation is no joke. Witnesses can and will disappear if prosecutors don’t shut down some of this unnecessary flow of information to the public.</p>
<p>I agree with laxmom…this whole thing makes me literally ill. I can honestly say I had less apprehension sending ldgirl off to her internship in Bogota than at the idea of sending her back to school in August. I know that is irrational, that Chapel Hill is safe and UNC is doing everything possible to protect students…but it’s how I feel.</p>
<p>I noted that one report said they got $1400 from her account with the ATM card. Isn’t there a daily limit on cards? I don’t see how they could get that much. I would pay a monthly fee to make ATM cards more secure. Each person should get two codes - one to use only for an emergency. When that code is entered, the money is given and everything looks normal but police would be immediately notified the name of the cardholder and the location of the withdrawal. There would be a huge fine if that code was ever used when there was no emergency. Perhaps GPS technology will be cheap enough one day to put locator chips in the cards.</p>
<p>I am not a big fan of Saudi justice, but the Saudis would know how to handle this case. Public beheading, at the hands of a family member is so requested. This poor kid was shot in the head twice. Whoever did this is beyond evil and should be handed a painful, sadistic and equally as evil punishment.</p>